Method and machine to bend metal wire into loops.



c. e. s'o'omumu.

METHOD AND MACHINE T0 BEND METAL WIRE INTO LOOPS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 7, I9I8.

1,326,5E-1. Patented; Dec. 30,1919.-

9 SHEETS-SHEET I.

c. (a. S O DERLUND. v METHOD AND MACHINE T0 BEND METAL WIRE INTO LOOPS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 7| I9I8- Patented Dec. 30, 1919.

9SHEETSSHEET 2.

Inveni'ar.

c. a. SUDERLUND. METHOD AND MACHINE TO-BEND METAL WIRE INTO LOOPS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 7, 19l8- Patented Dec. 30,1919.

Iva/ enian 0. e. SUDERLUND.

METHOD AND MACHINE T0 BEND METAL WIRE INTO LOOPS.

APPLICA'HON FILED JUNE 7. 9H3.

1,326Q54Aw Patented Dec. 30,1919.

9 SHEETSSHEET 4- Invenior. 6T 6': Sdevlwnd 0. G. SUDERLUND. METHOD AND MACHlNE T0 BEND METAL WIRE INTO LOOPS. Y

APPLICATlON FILED JUNE 7, 19I8- Patented Dec. 30,1919.

9 SHEETS-SHEET 5 0. G. SUDERLUND.

METHOD AND MACHlNE TO BEND METAL WIRE INTO LOOPS.

I APPLICATION FILED JUNE 7, 19l8.

Patented Dec. 30, 1919.

9 SHEETSSHEET 6- 1911:1272 bar.

G G: SBaLerZund c. e. S'O'DEHLUND.

METHOD AND MACHINE T0 BEND METAL WIRE INTO LOOPS.

c/mo NE 1 1918 26,541, '1 Patented Dec. 30,1919.

9 SHEETS-SHEET 1 1 56 fig/6. ,w 425 4w 122 C. G. SUDERLUND.

Patented m 30,1919.

9 SHEETSSHEET 8.

Q GSzZerZuwd.

0'. G. SUDERLUND.

METHOD AND MACHINE TO BEND METAL WIRE INTO LOOPS.

APPLICATION HLED JUNE 1, 1918.

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CARL GUSTAF SiiDERLUND, OF GOT'IENBORG, Si/VEDEIDT, ASEIGNQR '10 AKTIEBGLAGET LIDKPINGS MEKANI$KA VEBKSTAI), F LIDK'IPING, SWEDEN.

METHOD AND MACHINE'TO BEND METAL WIRE INTO LGOPS.

Application filed June 7, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL Gus'rar Soone- Lune, a subject of the King of Sweden, residing at Hisingen, Gottenborg, in the county of Gottenborg and Bohus and Kingdom of Sweden, have invented new and useful 1mprm enients in Methods and Machines to Bend Metal ire into Loops of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved method 01? and machine for bending metal wire into a series of successively arranged spaced loops, each forming an approximate circle, lying in a plane at right angles to the main direction ot the wire proper. In peri'ori'nii'ig the method the wire is intermittently fed forward, and between each two feeding movements the wire is given one or more turns around a mandrel arranged eccentrical and parallel to the portion of the wire which has not been subjected to the looping action.

111 the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of the machine.

Figs. and 3 are respectively right and lel t end views of the machine.

Fig. a

a transverse vertical section on the line AA of Fig. 1 and looking to the left.

Fig. 5 is a similar section on the line F B of Fig. 1.

F 6 is a plan view of the machine with various parts shown in horizontal section.

Fig. 7 an axial section of a coupling device forming part of the machine.

Fig. 8 is a. plan view of the same device.

Fig. 9 is a detail thereof shown on a decreased scale.

F 10. is a plan view of the feeding device tor the wire.

Fig. 11 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view thereof taken on line CC of Fig. 10.

Fig. is a plan view of the same device with some parts removed.

Fig. 13 is a horizontal section of the feeding device taken on line DD of Fig. 10.

Fig. 14% is a side view of one half of a bending implement.

Fig. 15 is a horizontal section of the bending implement taken on line H-H in Figs. 16 and 17.

Fig. 16 is a transverse vertical section taken on line EE in Fig. 1.4 of the bending implement.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 36, 1919.

Serial No. 238,735.

Fig. 17 is a similar section taken on line F-F in Fig. 14.

Fig. 18 is a vertical section of another coupling device.

Fig. 19 is a plan view thereof.

Fig. 20 a plan view of a detail of the same coupling device on a. decreased scale.

Fig. 21 is a section on the line GG in Fig. 20 on an increased scale.

Figs. 23, 2 1 and 25 show details of the wire bending and cutting mechanism.

The wire 1 is wound on reel 2, which is rotatably mounted on a pin carried by bearing arms 3. The bearing arms 3 are slidably connected to arms 5 projecting from a casing 5 and each arm. 3 is provided with a slot 7, through which passes a bolt 8 carried by an arm (3, by which means the bearings 3 can be adjusted and secured in a desired position relative to the arms 6. The casing 5 is rotatably mounted in bearings 10 and 11 carried by the framework 9 and is provided with a toothed wheel 12 actuated from gear-wheels 13, 14:, 15, 16 and 18 by means of a shaft 17 in the framework 9. The wire 1 passes from the reel 2 through a straightening apparatus 01 some suitabledesign which consists of atubular casing 20, rotatably mounted in the casing 5 on ball bearings 19. The casing 20 is provided with a plurality of blocks 21 having holes through which the wire 1 is drawn during the rotation of the casing The casing is rotated by means (it beltpulley driven by a belt 28 from a pulley 2d, mounted on the shaft 17. In the lower part, of the tran'iework 9 is a horizontal rod provided intermediate its ends with sore w-threads 26, which engage a nut 27, provided with two diametrically opposite projecting pins 171, embraced by the lower ends oi two vertical members 28,which are joined by means of cross-stays 29, 30 and 31. The stay 31 is connected to the bearing 11 by means of a spiral spring which tends to move the upper ends of the members 28 toward the casing 20. On the stay 29 there is pivotally mounted a how 33 carrying a roller 3%, which by means of the spring 32 is held against a cam disk 35 rigidly mounted on a rotata le shaft 36. Between the upper parts of the members 28 there is arranged a. feeding device 37, which is shown in detail in Figs. 10-13. This feeding device comprises an outer casing 38 secured by screws 39 to the members 2 and a corresponding ring 10 secured by screws 4:1 to the casing 38. The parts 38 and 10 are provided with acup-shaped socket in which is mounted a ball 4:2. The ball 12 is providedwith an open radial slot 13, wide enough to constitute a passage for the'wire 1.. The parts 38 and 40 are provided with slots 1% and 15 respectively, of the same width as the slot 13. In the ball 42 there areslidably mounted two dies 16 movable toward and away from each other and each die is provided with a conical hole 47 in which the conical end of a set screw 18 is inserted for limiting the movement of the dies in a radial direction away from the wire 1. By turning the screws as, the dies 46 may be moved toward and away from the axis of the hall 4.2, so that the mutual distance of the dies will suit the thickness of the wire 1. Each of the dies is provided with arms 19 between which are mounted, on a pivot 51, the lever 50. The outer end of each lever 50 is forced forward by a spiral spring 52, which has its ends mounted in recesses in the lever and die. The rearward movement of the inner ends of the levers 50 is limited by pins 53 carried by the arms 19.

By moving the feeder 37 along the wire to the right the curved inner ends of the levers 50 will slide along the wire. By moving the feeder 37 to the left the inner ends of the levers 50 will lock on the wire and thus squeeze the wire 1 between them so that the wire 1 will be fed forward with the feeder 37. Thus the device operates like a ratchet clutch. In front of the socket of the feeder 37 is arranged a cover 54; to which there is attached a closure 55 provided with a hole for the wire 1. This plate 55 serves to guide the wire 1 during its feeding motion. Owing to the ball 42 being mounted for universal movement in the socket 38, it auto-- matically adjusts itself with regard to the longitudinal direction'of the wire 1, as best shown in Fig. 1. VJ hen the shaft 36 and cam disk 35 revolve, the members 28 and the feeder 3'7 obtain the reciprocal motion necessary for the step by step feeding of the wire 1.

In front of the casing 20 and forward of the feeder 37 there is provided a device for bending the wire 1 into loops. This device consists of a casing 56, screwed into another casing 57, which is screwed into the hub of a toothed wheel 58, secured by means of screws 59 to a ring 60 having a conical inner surface against which bears the conical outer face of a ring 61. The toothed wheel 58 is inclosed by a casing 62, provided on its interior with a collar 63, which cooperates with a corresponding groove in'the ring 61 and serves as a guide for the latter. Exterior of the casing 57 there is screwed a ring 64 which secures the toothed wheel 58 on the casing 57. The casing 57 is provided with a bending block 65 having an eccentrically positioned hole 135. In the center of the block 65 a mandrel 66 projects in an axial direction. The toothed wheel 58 meshes with a gear 67 which is connected to a coupling device which is described below in connection with Figs. 18-21. The wheel 67 is secured to the hub 172 of a coupling wheel 68 that is mounted for rotatable and slidable movement on the shaft 17, which coupling wheel 68. is provided with four radial recesses 69 positioned at an angle of 90 relative to one another. Located in each of the recesses 69 is a dog 70, pivoted upon a pin 71. The inner end of each dog 70 is engaged by a spiral spring 72. The springs 7 2 press upon the inner ends of the dogs 70 and tend to swing with their outer ends toward the wheel 68. This movement is limited by stops 73 on the wheel 68, cooperating with projections 7 a onthe dogs 70. The shaft 17 is provided with a ratchet disk '75 secured thereto by a pin 76 and surrounded by a ring 146, fixed on the shaft 17. On the side facing the dogs 70 the ratchet disk 7 5 provided with four radially arranged ridges 7 7 at an angle of 90 to one another. These ridges are shown in cross section in Fig. 21, and the side facing the dog 70 in the moving direction of the wheel slopes down 9 rather abruptly while the rear side thereof slopes more gradual. According to Fig. 18, the wheel 68 with the dogs 70 is in gear, i. e. forced against the disk 75, so that the outer ends of the dogs 70 on account of the pressure exerted by the disk 75 on their inner ends, against the force of the springs 7 2, are swung downward into gear with the ridges 77. When the wheel 68 is moved away from the disk 75, the outer ends of the dogs 70 are moved by the springs 72 against the stops 73. The heels 170 on the inner ends of the members 70 rest on the hub of the disk 7 5, until the projections 7 4 engage the stops 73.

The sliding movement of th wheel 68 on the shaft 1'7, toward and from the ratchet disk 75, is effected by means of an oscillating device, best shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9. On the shaft 36 there is a freely mounted ring 78 provided with pins 79 on which is pivoted an oscillating arm 80, embracing the shaft 36 and on its upper end provided with two arms 81 having blocks 82 006perating with a groove 83 on the hub of the wheel 68, and serving as a means for sliding the wheel 68. On opposite sides of the shaft 36 and mounted on aXles 86 are friction rolls 8%, carried by the oscillating arm 80. Each of these rolls has a large and small periphery and each roll is mounted on a sliding block 88 secured to the arm 80 by means of a bolt 87. The large peripheries of the rolls are spaced different distances from the axis of the shaft 36, and

these rolls engage a cam disk 89, which is secured to a toothed wheel 90 fixed on the shaft 36. The disk 89 is provided with four separate concentrically arranged and rather thin cams 91, 92, 93 and 91 annularly curved and each extending substantially half a circle, the two outer of which cams 91 and 92 are spaced equal distances from the axis of the shaft 36 and are en gaged by the roll 81. The two inner cams 93 and 91 are spaced equal distances from the axis of the shaft 36 and are engaged by the roll 85. The cams 91 and 93 are both on an equal level (the high level in Fig. 8) and the cams 92 and 9 1 are both on an equal level (the low level in Fig. 8), which last mentioned level is parallel to the first mentioned level. The high level cam 91 has peripherally a larger extent than the low level cam 92 and is by means of a perpendicu-.

lar step 95 set down to the low level cam 92, which by means of an inclined plane 96, again merges into the high level cam 91. The high level cam has some less extent than the low level cam 94 and is by means of a perpendicular step 97 set down to the low level cam 91, which by means of an inclined plane 98 merges into the high level cam 93. The said cam levels are so arranged in relation to one another that the step 95 and the plane 98 are located diametrically opposite to each other, and the step 97 and the plane 96 are also located diametrically opposite each other. In the position of the disk 89, as shown in Fig. 7, th roll 81 is on the high level cam 93 and the roll 85 on the low level cam 92, which in Fig. 8 is indicated by dotted lines. 111 this position of the cams, the arm 80 has its lower end swung toward the disk 89 (Fig. 7). lVhen the disk 89 is revolved to the right in Fig. 8, the inclined plane 96 after a quarter of a turn reaches the roll 85 and this causes the roll 85 to move over the plane 96 from the low level cam 92 to th high level ram 91. At the same time the perpendicular step 97 has reached the roll 8%, and this roll suddenly moves from the high level cam 93 down to the low level cam 9. By this movement, the lower end of the arm 80 swings outward off the disk 89 and the upper end of the arm moves the wheel 68 away from the ratchet disk 7 5 and thus uncluches th gear (37 from the shaft 17. When the inclined plane 98 after a little more than half a turn in the same direction as before reaches the roll 84, the latter rolls from the low level cam 9 1 to the high level cam 93, and at the same time the step 95 has reached the roll 85, and this roll moves from the high level cam 91 down to the low level cam 92. This causes the lower end of the arm 80 to swing inward toward the disk 89 into the position shown in Fig. 7 and pushes the wheel 68 toward the ratchet disk 75, thus putting this in gear. The continued revolving of the disk 89 in Fig. 8, not quite half a turn, will cause the inclined plane 98 to reach the roll 85 once more, and the step 97 to reach the roll 81, by means of which the arm 80 once more attains such a position that the ratchet disk 75 becomes disconnected from the wheel 68. From the above it may be understood that the cams 91-91 are of proper height and length to maintain the ratchet disk 75 in gear dining less than half a turn and disconnected a little more than half aturn of the disk 89. The described coupling device combines the yielding features of a friction clutch with the exact working of a claw coupling. A friction clutch is not to be recommended in this connect-ion on account of the slip which cannot be fully avoided in the coupling moment, and a claw-coupling operates too abruptly.

The toothed wheel 90 is provided with a flange 101 on which are mounted two oppositely disposed cam disks 99 and 100. The flange 101 projects from the toothed wheel 90 and incloses the hub of said wheel. Upon the cam disks 99 and 100 there rest antifriction rolls 102 and 103 (Figs. 1 and 5), which are rotatably mounted in slides 10% and 105 carried by the lower arms of twoarmed levers 106 and 107. These levers are pivoted on pins 108 and 109 on the frame work 9, and the lower arms of the levers are drawn toward the cams 99 and 100 by springs 110 and 111, which are attached to the framework 9 and tend to keep the rolls 102 and 103 in contact with the cam disks 99 and 100. The tension of the springs 110 and 111 can be adjusted by means of screws and nuts 112 and 113 respectively. The slides 101 and 105 can be adjusted by means of screws 11a and 115 and they can be locked by means of stop-screws 116 and 117. The upper arms of the levers 106 and 107 are pivotally connected by pins 118 and 119 to plungers 120 and 121 which are mounted for reciprocating movement in suitable guides in the framework 9. (See Figs. 3, 1, 5, 22, 23, 2 1 and 25.) At the inner end of the plungers 120 and 121 there are dies 122 and 123, best shown in Figs. 1%117, which face one another and are provided with cavities or grooves of suitable shape so as to produce together an inclosure for the wire 1 during the bending thereof as hereinafter described. Between the dies 122 and 123 and the bending block there is provided a space 153, of a width only slightly larger than the diameter of the wire 1. The plunger-s 120 and 121 are pivotally connected by pins 121 and 125 (Figs. 3, 1, 5, 22, 23, 21, to the outer ends of arms and 127, which are provided at their inner ends with cutters 128 and 129. From the top of the arm 127 there projects a finger 139 having a. curved shaped end which engages a socket 131 mounted on the top of the arm 126. By this connection the arm 127 actuates the arm 126. The arm 127 is provided on its under side with a projectingadjustable pin 132 supported by a cam disk 133 on a shaft 131, journaled in the framework 9. This shaft 134 is provided with a ratchet wheel 136 (Figs. 3, 6, 22, 23, 2-1, 25) engaged by a pawl 137, pivoted on one side of the plunger 121. The cam disk 133 is provided with a notch 138, into which the pin 132 falls, when. the disk 133 revolves and permits the arm 127 to descend. As the arm 127 is connected by means of the coupling device and 131 to the arm 126, said arm 126 will also be moved downward (see Fig. 2 1). In this position the arms 126 and 127 are supported by two angle-shaped prongs 1 11 adjustably attached to the inner side of a support 139 by means of screw bolts 1&0 (see Figs, 1 and 25).

The motive power for the machine is transmitted by means of a fixed belt pulley 112 at the side of which there is a freely mounted belt pulley 152, both pulleys being arranged on a shaft 11-3 from which the power is distributed by means of gearwheels 14 1 to the shaft 17, and from shaft 17 by means of geanwheels 14t5-90 to the shaft 36.

The machine operates as follows:

When starting, the wire 1 is threaded by hand through the tube casing 20, the feeder 37, the hole in the bending block 65, and into the cavity 1 17 formed between the grooved faces of the dies 122'and 123. On moving the machine from the position shown in Fig. 1, in which the gear wheel 67 is connected with the shaft 17, the bending block 65 is caused to revolve or turn. By this movement a loop 1-18 14) is formed in the space 153 between the dies 122 and 123 and the bending block 65 and this loop is wound about the mandrel 66 (Fig. 14:). The loop 148, on account of the narrow width of the space 153, is forced to assume a plane, perpendicular to the mandrel 66 and thereby perpendicular also to the longitudinal direction of the main portion of the wire 1. At the beginning of this stage of theoperation, the feeder 37 is in the position shown by full lines in Fig. 1, and at the end of the same stage the feeder has been brought rearward into the position shown by dot and dash lines in the same figure. When the bending block 65 has been revolved one turn, the gear wheel 67 is uncoupled from the shaft 17 in the manner heretofore described, so that the wheel 67 as well as the other parts of the bending device now remain stationary. N ow the dies 122 and 123 separate by the influence of the spiral springs 110 and 111, drawing the lower arms of the levers 1061 and 107, and the feeder 37 feeds the wire toward the left according to Fig. 1, squeezing the wire 1 in the manner described, so that the wire is fed forward along the mandrel 66 a distance equal in length to, or a little more than, the length of the portion 151 of the dies (Fig. 141) lhe completed loop, marked with the reference figure 1419, nowstands on the left of the portion 151, and the feeder 37 once more has reached the full lined position in Fig. 1. The dies 122 and 123 are then brought together and close around the loop 1 19, squeezing the corncr-lmrtions thereof (Fig. 16), and the bending block 65 again is rotated one turn, so that a further loop 118 is produced in the space The stretching force set up in the wire portion 150 which connects the loops 113 and 1 19, by the influence of the squeezing of the corners, causes the said portion 150 to be forced down into suitably rounded grooves above the heel-shaped die portion 151. After this operation the dies 122 and 123 are moved apart and the wire 1 is again moved forward one step, so that the loop 119 takes the position of the loop 157 in 11 and the loop 148 the position of the loop 149. The curved portion 150 now takes the position of the curved portion 15% in the channel 156, formed by the meeting faces of the dies and 123 when closed. 111 this manner the wire is moved forward step by step and one loop is completed by each moveme. t.

Each time the dies 122 and 123 move away from each other, the pawl 137 will move the ratchet wheel. 136 one step, and as said ratchet wheel is rigid with the cam 133, it will be seen that the movement of the die 121 will cause the rotation of the cam 133. By this means, after the cam has moved the proper distance, the pin 132 will engage the notch 138 and allow the cutter arms 126 and 127 to descend, whereby after one full turn of the disk 133 to the right according to Fig. 3, the finger 132 is caused to fall into the notch 138, and the cutters in passing one another 1 ill shear the wire 1. As the plungers 12 and 121 continue to reciprocate the disk 133 will be revolved by the action of the pawl 137 on the wheel 136, and the arms 126 and 127 will be again raised into the position shown in Fig. 3.

The described embodiment of the machine may be varied in one or another detail without departing from the spirit of the invention. For instance, the wire straightening device may be of any other suitable design, as may also the device for cutting the wire. Said parts also may be fully dispensed with and replaced by separate tools or apparatus without combination with the machine proper. The coupling and feeding devices described also may be of any other design, provided that they admit the machine to operate in accordance with the chief requirement mentioned above.

Having 110w described and ascertained the nature of the said invention what is claimed as new is:

l. A method of providing a wire with loops which extend laterally at substantially right angles on one side of an unbent portion Off the wire arranged between each pair of consecutive loops, consisting in securing an unbent portion of the wire which, is to be located between two loops, adjacent to and at one side of a mandrel, and rotating the unsecured portion of the wire entirely around the mandrel in a. confined space to term a single loop, the confining of the wire during rotation preventing the same from moving out of a plane perpendicular to the axis of the mandrel.

2. A method of providing a straight wire with loops extending at right angles to the straight wire, which consists in securing the wire at one side of a mandrel which extends substantially parallel to the straight wire,

rotating said wire around the mandrel to form a complete loop, and then compressing the loop and the wire adjacent it.

3. A method of providing a straight wire with loops extending at right angles to the straight wire, which consists in intermittently feeding the wire forward, securing the wire at one side of a mandrel between each feeding movement, winding said wire around the mandrel to form a loop, and compressing said loop and the wire adjacent the same.

4. A machine for providing a wire with spaced loops which extend laterally at one side and at substantially right angles to straight portions of the wire comprising a mandrel, means for clamping an unbent portion. of the wire at one side of the axis of the mandrel, means -tor turning the wire around the mandrel and a chamber located between the clamping means and the turn ing, said chamber having parallel walls eX- tending at right angles to the axis of the mandrel adapted to engage the portion of the "wire which forms a loop.

5. A machine for forming looped wire,

including a mandrel, a chamber arranged around said mandrel, means for securing wire at one side of said mandrel, and means for feeding an unsecured portion of the wire into said chamber and means for wrapping the same around said mandrel to form a loop.

6. In a machine for forming looped wire, a stationary mandrel, means for clamping wire at one side of said mandrel, a rotatable bending block having its axis arranged in alinement with said mandrel and provided between its axis and periphery with an aperture extending parallel to the block axis, and a chamber arranged between the clamping means and block, said chamber having parallel walls arranged perpendicular relative to the mandrel for engaging the wire after its passage through the block.

7. A machine as defined in claim 8, provided with dies movable toward and away from said wire, said dies having grooved -faces to receive the wire and being adapted to compress the same.

8. A machinev as defined in claim 9, in which the dies are spaced away from the bending block a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the wire.

9. In a machine of the class described, a plurality of dies movable toward and away from a looped wire and provided with means for engaging and compressing the wire, a plurality of pivoted arms carrying cutters, means connecting the arms for joint movement, a rotatable cam provided with a notch, a ratchet wheel rigid with said cam, a pawl carried by one of the dies and engaging said ratchet wheel during movement of the dies tor intermittently rotating said cam, and a member carried by one of the arms and engaging said cam.

In testimony whereof I have atlixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CAR-L oiisrar sonnnnum).

Witnesses GUSTAF Snrrz, HALF IhnKsoN. 

